what is a warrant officer?

Question

army ranks

Answer 1

Wow. Some folks just should not answer.

Army definition.

"The Army WO is a self–aware and adaptive technical expert, combat leader, trainer, and advisor. Through progressive levels of expertise in assignments, training, and education, the WO administers, manages, maintains, operates, and integrates Army systems and equipment across the full spectrum of Army operations. Warrant Officers are innovative integrators of emerging technologies, dynamic teachers, confident warfighters, and developers of specialized teams of soldiers. They support a wide range of Army missions throughout their career. Warrant officers in the Army are accessed with specific levels of technical ability. They refine their technical expertise and develop their leadership and management skills through tiered progressive assignment and education."



Essentially, a Warrant Officer is an officer who receives a warrant (rather than a commission) from the Secretary of the Army or the other service secretary for their respective service. He is usually a highly qualified technical officer in fields where the additional responsibility does is not appropriate for enlisted ranks. Typically a Warrant used to be enlisted, except for Army chopper pilots where they recruit from the civilian sector.

After a Warrant's first promotion to Chief Warrant Officer 2, he/she is given a commission and is given all the rights and responsibilities of a commissioned officer, including the ability to impose Article 15 if in a command position. Some Warrant Officers do command companies, detachments and vessels. Contrary to popular belief, a Warrant Officer at the rank of CW2 IS a "Commissioned Officer" but still falls in the Army rank structure below all commissioned officers (even the most junior lieutenant technically outranks the most senior Warrant Officer...just like the most junior Warrant Officer outranks the most senior Command Sergeant Major...at least on paper!).

In the Army, the way in which one becomes a Warrant Officer is to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School, which is a very difficult 4 or 6 week course, depending on what rank you were when you applied for a Warrant position. Never care to repeat it.

The only service that does NOT have Warrant Officers is the Air Force. They got rid of their Warrant program years ago and the last Air Force Warrant Officer is long since retired.

The main thing is that a Warrant Officer is just that...an OFFICER! When I went Warrant, I gave up the NCO Corps and am no longer an NCO. As they used to tell us at Warrant Officer Candidate School, if you don't think you're up to being an officer, the Army still needs good NCOs and you can always drop out. None of us did...we all wanted it pretty bad.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

British Army rank. Superior to Colour Sergeant or Staff Sergeant. Warrant Officer Class II would be a Squadron/ Battery or Battalion Sergeant Major whereas a Warrant Officer Class I would be a Regimental Sergeant Major. The WOI is the highest of the non-commissioned ranks.

Answer 4

Structure of the forces (UK Army)
Pte, LCpl, Cpl, Sgt, SSgt, WO2, WO1
This is generic but Pte can also be Gnr, Spr, etc.. same as other ranks have equivalent in names.
This scale is for Soldiers, Not Officers in the British forces.
A Warrant Officer (WO) is a senior non commissioned officer. Warrant is given by the Queen, but is still a soldier not an officer. If they wish to be an officer they apply for commission and if successful will get what is called a late entry commission and become a Capt

Answer 5

In the british Army an N.C.O is a non commissioned officer.
Officers carry the Queens Commission.
In between are warrant officers, usually Sergeant majors, Regimental sergeant Majors, Although not holding the Queens Commision, they hold the Queen's Warrant. So, Warrant Officers.

Answer 6

In the British Army, at least, he/she's a soldier of vast experience who has worked his way up through the non-commissioned ranks and now holds a Royal Warrant.

Technically, officially and legally a WO is still subordinate to even the most junior Commissioned Officer, though any junior officer who ignores his WO's advice is a fool!


As I recall, the senior Warrant Officer in the British Army is the Academy Sergeant Major at the RMA Sandhurst. For those junior to him, it's unwise in the extreme to address a WO1 as "sergeant major". ALWAYS Sir!

Answer 7

A warrant officer in the British Army is the highest non-commissioned rank.

Warrant officer 2nd class is one step below warrant officer 1st class.

Above these two non-commissioned ranks, there are the officers or commissioned ranks.

Answer 8

UK - The highest rank of Non Commissioned Officer. In the Navy they come between a Chief Petty Officer, and a Lieutenant (well, actually a Sub Lieutenant - but you only really get them at "officers school" - BRNC).

Quite often they are the ones who best know what is going on. They have experience over those below them in the rank structure, and over many of the junior officers who are 'above' them.

A WO can be promoted to Lieutenant, but that moves them from the top of the pecking order in the Senior rates mess, to the bottom in the Wardroom.

Answer 9

A Warrant Officer is a senior non commissioned officer in the Army, Navy or Air Force above the rank of Sargent who holds his or her rank by Royal Warrant from from the Sovereign who is of course the Queen.

Answer 10

Warrant Officer are the most senior non commissioned rank in the Army and the Air Force. They are not NCOs as such but neither are they commissioned.